I've edited the chapter one and rooted out some of the more outstanding mistakes to upgrade it to the level of the other chapters... Should be easier to read now. No changes in the story were made, rest assured :)


The day was still young. The sun didn't yet climb more than a half way up the cloudless sky, yet the heat already began to build up, drying up Tsukasa's skin almost as quickly as the lazy waves made it wet. The sand was warm and soft. The overall gentle sensation was so overpowering, that she had fallen asleep before she realized she was no longer sleeping.

She awoke with a start, and pulled her body up, shielding her eyes from the blinding sun.

„What? Did I oversleep again? So much light! It must be noon already-"

Tsukasa's train of thoughts was stopped in its tracks in a split-second. She was not in bed. Before her eyes laid a vast expanse of azure water, which covered more than a half of the horizon, blending in the distance with the pale blue sky. High sun cast myriads of silver specks upon the gentle waves.

„I felt asleep on a beach... Trouble, trouble..."

Fighting panic, she looked upon herself, searching for dreaded sunburns. She found none, but that was not the most surprising thing. A wet and ragged summer dress barely covered her body. It was torn so badly that the yellow bikini she wore under it was very much visible. Thankfully the bikini itself was whole, if that could be said about something so small. That itself was not a problem, as her body of a twenty years old girl was tan and fit... maybe even a bit more fit than she thought she was... Must be the summer diet and swimming... But, a torn dress? What happened?

It was then that Tsukasa realised that her senses were assaulted by cacophony of unfamiliar sounds and scents. She looked around, trying to keep her loose hair from obscuring her eyes. The beach looked rather short, running maybe a kilometer in each side, as if she were on an peninsula. It was completely deserted. No one and nothing of human origin was to be seen on its surface, save from some flotsam. The beach was maybe thirty meters wide, and ended suddenly in a living wall of intensely green and very dense tropical forest, emanating with strange sounds and smells. It slowly dawned on her that she does not know this place, how she got here or why she was alone. It looked like the torn dress was the least of her problems. Even more surprisingly to the girl, her uneasiness, unpleasant as it was, didn't turn into a full-blown panic.

„I don't feel that bad... So there must be nothing to be afraid of... I just forgot where I am... Strange, but that could happen, couldn't it? I just have to find... to find... whom? I don't remember... Oh, no..."

Uneasiness increased.

„Oh no, it must be a sunstroke!"

Barefooted, Tsukasa wandered a couple hundred of meters in both directions. She tied her hair in the usual way, only this time she was forced to use a strap torn from the dress. No sign of human presence, no voice, nothing. Only some random items scattered across the beach, a bottle of shampoo here, a roll of drenched toilet paper there, and some broken wood everywhere. Tsukasa saw enough movies to start to suspect she was a survivor of a ship crash. That was really scary. A lone survivor, doomed to die on an remote island. And sunstruck!

Another pair of tears rolled slowly down her cheeks. And yet... Tsukasa still seemed to be unable to feel as bad about it as she should. Maybe it was the strange, overwhelming beauty of this place... Maybe the pleasant sensation of sunrays on her skin... Or maybe she had more resolve than she thought. Her body felt strong, and the forest looked rather bountiful and inviting, even if scary.

The inside of the forest was shady and moist, cooling Tsukasa's exposed skin. She had already completely shed her dress. It was useless as clothing, constrained movement and better used as a bag for the things she found on the beach. The girl was still scared of starvation, yet she found out that she was able to break coconuts with a stone and eat what was inside. It was almost like eating cake, and coconuts were abundant here. As well as other kinds of fruit, most of which she knew were edible.

„It is still hopeless, of course. I am alone, I will die here", she said, as to convince herself. Yet... She felt so alive. Little creatures and birds scurried everywhere in the thick foliage. Flowers and fruit of wild, vivid colours spurted here and there from the greenest green she had ever saw. It was paradise.

Tsukasa outstretched her hands and curiously moved forward. Big, heavy leaves caressed her skin as she went. She was lost before she knew it.

The small clearing was full of the largest and most beautiful flowers she had seen yet. Heavy, sweet scent hung in the air. Stunned by this new wonder, Tsukasa yet again forgot about her dire situation. With a trembling hand, she took a flower. It was red and black, large as her head, and tied to a thick, thorny vine. The smell was overwhelming... and yet, strangely enough, while she was stunned, she also felt some uneasiness. The girl ignored that after a second thought. The attraction was so intense, and how a flower could be dangerous? She knelt and stuck her nose inside. It was as if her senses were on fire.

„Oh... my..."

Before she realized it, she pressed the flower against her skin, her cheek, her neck... her breasts and abdomen. She wanted nothing more than feel the scent even more, to imprint it on her skin, to experience this insane sensation even more. Even her small bikini seemed now like a constraining barrier between her and the full embrace of the flower. Her head swam.

Some alarm bell rung in her mind. Not from some usual source, but from deep within, as if it was an instinct. Tsukasa had always trusted her instincts, and that didn't change now. She played with the flower a little more, then reluctantly got up. Something was not quite right with this place. Tsukasa wasn't scared, but decided that she didn't want to stay here. This beautiful place had some dark aura about it. She didn't want to leave either, but her curiosity about the rest of the forest prevailed in the end. Still wearing the heavy scent of the mysterious flower, the girl headed out.

When she finally stopped again by a small stream that ran through the undergrowth, she was starting to regret her visit in the forest. Not only because she was lost. „No longer denying it... I'm not feeling very well..."

Tsukasa's torso was blushed red, like her hands. She had no delusions about her face, either. During the previous hour of her aimless wander, the delicate itching on the girl's skin slowly turned into severe inflammation. Her face burned. The forest which surrounded the rocky bedrock of the stream turned darker. Sounds and colours seemed to be more and more distorted. The voices of the birds were no longer inspiring, they drilled through Tsukasa's swollen head like growls of a powered tool.

She tried to cool her inflammated skin in the stream, but to no avail. She knew that she was sick. Very sick, and there was nobody to help her.

„It hurts... Please, someone... Mom... Kagami... Minoru... Someone be here..."

Tears of self pity started to flow from her eyes. Perhaps she should just lie down and die. Perhaps...

A strange sight caught her eye. In a rock basin under a small waterfall, there was a strange creature, partially submerged. It was a turtle, probably the biggest turtle Tsukasa ever saw. She quickly dried her eyes to see better. The reptile was gray and green. Its head was as big as Tsukasa's, armoured and topped with two short but very thick, triangular horns. The head fitted seamlessly into its massive, flat carapace, two meters long and almost as wide. The creature also had quite a long tail, which lazy swings were the only sign that the turtle was alive.

As Tsukasa watched it – or him, she for some reason was sure that it was male – in awe, the creature suddenly swiveled its stubby head in her direction. Their eyes locked. The girl gasped.

„Uhm... hello, Mr. Kame..."

The turtle didn't blink. Seconds passed. Tsukasa started to sweat.

„Eee... Sorry to disturb you... Is it your home?"

What was she doing, talking to a turtle? Suddenly it rose on all fours and seemed much bigger and scarier. Tsukasa's eyes widened in startle.

„Sorry! I was just leaving!"

The creature turned in her direction. That was too much. Without any of the grace or strength she had in the morning, Tsukasa stumbled and almost fell while turning away. She braced herself against a tree and started to move. Her wonder replaced now by fear, the girl realized that she was feeling real bad. Her stride was uneven, shaky, sense of balance failing her.

Tsukasa looked back. Surely, the creature was following her! What for, she didn't know, and wasn't interested in finding out, either. Yet, she was growing weak with every step, and the turtle moved surprisingly fast for his size.

The dizziness finally overcame her. Tsukasa fell down into the water. With a moan of pain, she pulled her unresponsive body up and sat against a tree, her legs still in the water. Up until now she managed to put some distance between her and the creature, but now it approached steadily and purposefully, while she couldn't move anymore. Her skin burned. Her senses gave erratic input. Her thoughts were in a state of chaos.

Tsukasa opened her eyes in time to notice a big, horned, green head between her legs. The turtle was sniffing her patiently. She managed to raise her hand and put it on creatures head.

„Do you want to eat me, Mr. Kame? I'm almost dead already, so... I guess it won't bother me... Just make it, ehm, painless, would you...?" She tried to smile.

The turtle turned his head towards her hand. He protruded a thick, slimy tongue from his mouth and started to lick it. Now Tsukasa was sure – he was going to eat her. Girls' eyes turned very watery.

„Uhm... Am I tasty, Mr. Kame?"

Unsurprisingly, the turtle didn't answer. He kept on licking. His saliva was cool. His eyes were orange and strangely intelligent. Then, he lowered his head and started to tongue Tsukasa's belly.

„Oh! That tickles... No! Heehee!"

Despite the perspective of being disemboweled shortly, the girl couldn't stop giggling weakly. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her, for she noticed all too familiar scent of balsamic vinegar in the air. It must have been coming from the turtle, but how?

Suddenly, the creature rushed forward. Tsukasa fell on her back. Heavy load of at least two hundred kilograms pressed her thighs and hips into the mud. Most embarrassingly, the turtle started to lick her neck and torso.

„Sure you're heavy, Mr. Kame... Do you always play with the food so much?"

Even as Tsukasa was saying that, she noticed two things. First, the smell of vinegar was now overwhelming. Second, skin on her hand and stomach was no longer burning, and felt very cool and fresh instead. Was it possible, that the turtle's saliva was there to preserve her body until he was hungry?

Creature's head sprang backward. He turned his attention towards her breasts now. Tsukasa shivered under the tongue and gulped. Suddenly, the turtle opened his mouth, presenting flat but impressive teeth and closed it between her breasts, not even nicking her skin, but grabbing her bra instead. He started to tear, shaking his head violently.

"Oiii! No! Please, let go of me! Don't do tha... ahhh..."

Tsukasa's protests died out, as the upper half of her outfit was shredded and eaten thoroughly. Her exposed upper body was overwhelmed with a feeling of pleasant coolness and unimaginable relief, freed from the venom-soaked fabric.

The girl laid motionlessly, eyes wide open, as Mr. Kame thoroughly licked her breasts, shoulders and face. Wherever his saliva went, the inflammation receded. Embarrassed as she was, she was grateful for this bizarre remedy. She decided it was, in a way, just like a visit to the local clinic back in their neighborhood, which allowed her to relax a bit more. She wasn't afraid at all now; actually, she didn't even feel all that awkward.

Many minutes passed until Tsukasa finally sat upright. She didn't feel sick anymore, and all the inflammation she had now came from her blushing cheeks. She felt her strength returning. She also felt strangely excited, a mixture of immense relief, curiosity, and perhaps a shade of regret that the healing process had already ended.

The turtle was waiting patiently nearby all the time. Now, he turned away and started to walk. He stopped after several steps and looked back.

"You want me... to follow you?"

Catiously, she stood up. No disorientation, no weakness in knees. She could walk normally now. Seeing her getting up, the turtle continued downstream. Tsukasa readjusted the ribbon holding her lavender hair. What choice she had?

„You saved my life, Mr. Kame, didn't you? It were those flowers, weren't they? Where are we going?"

The turtle didn't answer. Not in words, anyway.

Tsukasa was sitting on the beach, arms backwards, legs outstretched. She tried to gather her thoughts. The caresses of sunlight upon her skin were not helping. A feeling of relaxation filled her. Thanks to Mr. Kame's treatment, she avoided death, and even the loss of her bra was not so awful, at least for now. She heard that sunbathing topless was something pretty normal in some countries, yet she never did it before. It felt good to be not constrained. Plus, as a precaution if she was spotted by anyone, she had a large palm leaf within easy reach.

„It's almost like an outdoor bath. Maybe I should remove the panties as well?"

She fought that urge. Somehow, that would be a bit too indecent. It wasn't really a bath.

„Oh, the weather is so fine, Mr. Kame..."

Tsukasa slowly lifted her right leg in the air, without bending her knee. She was surprised how easily she was able to touch her nose with it.

„I am pretty sure I could never do that before... So strange."

The girl looked upon herself. She was almost sure that she never was that strong. Her body was as feminine as always, with smooth curves and round breasts, but the muscles were clearly defined. She took a stone and made a throw, trying to use all her strength. It looked very small when it finally splashed into water.

The turtle looked at Tsukasa curiously. She smiled, then sighed.

„I had a strange dream, Mr. Kame. I was old... very old, and I was Minoru's wife. Funny, I do like him, but... Wait, no. I remember wedding him. Or was it a part of the dream? Anyway, I had children, and grandchildren. We were a really happy family. Is it a sign of good fortune? I hope so..."

She smiled dreamingly.

„Yet, Mr. Kame, I do not remember how I got here. Hmm, maybe I'm on a holiday trip with my mates from the college... And they are looking for me... Or honeymoon with Minoru... Did I marry him or not?"

She looked genuinely puzzled. It took a moment, before she continued.

„Or... they could be in trouble... If there was a ship crash... They could be dead! Oh no. It's really... really scary."

Tsukasa grabbed her knees and curled into a foetal position.

„I can't bear it... What would Kagami do?"

She was on the verge of crying again. Then a wet and cold thing touched her shin. The turtle was there, holding a dead fish in his jaws.

„I guess it cannot be helped. No point in starving to death. But, how are we going to cook it?"

Mr. Kame certainly wasn't a normal animal. It turned out he can secrete not only vinegar from his mouth, but also alcohol. And he showed Tsukasa to use flint as a means to create fire. Before long, the girl was able to make an acceptable fish soup, using a pot salvaged from the flotsam and some ingredients she found in the jungle. Later, they swam and played in the crystal clear waters of the lagoon. The turtle was really fast underwater, yet the girl was very agile as well. She even managed to catch one fish, and made one more pot of soup when they were back on shore. As Tsukasa laid on the comfortably hot turtle's carapace, she thought that if her situation wasn't so dire, it could be one of the best times in her life. Facing the reality could wait a moment.

Tsukasa opened her eyes suddenly when she had fallen off the turtle. She was still on the beach, but the place was unfamiliar, and the sky already was crimson in colour. She was startled. Not a good idea to fall asleep on something that could move... Especially being half-nude and stranded in a strange land.

She stood up and cleaned the sand off front of her body. A massive rock caught her eye. It rose from the water about ten meters offshore, like a half submerged residential block. A cave entry was visible on the water line.

„A home for the night? You're really smart, Mr. Kame!"

She hugged the turtle and rushed to investigate.

The inside of the cave turned out to be a dark and curved tunnel. Tsukasa was wading through the water, which was chest deep here. It was starting to be really scary, even with Mr. Kame by her side. If only she had a flashlight...

„Uhm, maybe we should return? I can't see anything... What if something lives here?"

Mr. Kame prodded her forward. She would turn back if she weren't a little scared of him as well. Then the girl noticed a faint blueish light coming from the bowels of the cave.

Tsukasa cautiously emerged from the water. She was in a domed grotto, deep inside the rock. The bottom rose here, and about half of the grotto was dry. A few almost natural-looking steps were carved from the rock in the most elevated end. They led to the source of the feint light.

Leaving wet footprints, Tsukasa approached it slowly. She looked around, alerted. It felt like she was being watched... yet she didn't see anybody. The girl turned her attention to the strange object again. It looked like a glowing mirror, adorned with black metal gargoyles and evil demonic faces. She felt her heart pounding. Suddenly, she realized that the mirror was not reflecting anything... Something was moving inside it instead. Recognition flashed across Tsukasa's face.

„Sis!"

Undobtedly it was Kagami. Tsukasa's sister looked there like a woman in her twenties. She was wearing a white track suit, and was just entering her appartment.

„I remember! Your own home, sis. I was there... But..."

Tsukasa started to look horrified. She raised her clenched fists to her mouth.

„I remember... Oh no, I remember now..."

The girl, petrified, transfixed, watched scenes in the mirror. She didn't notice an alien gaze fixed on her exposed back.